Todd2

No love for the old ball and chain..it's probably my #1 producer this year although the Texas rig has to be close now. For some reason I do prefer a lighter (1/4 oz) C-Rig on Spinning gear with a Carolina Keeper...one knot, very simple. I hate throwing a Buzzbait (aka wood chopper as my old fishing buddy used to call it). I just don't get many blow ups (and even fewer hookups) on it.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/152445-line-stretch-test-18-typesbrands/ I ran across this a while back. It's with an 8 lb weight, which I'm pretty sure is way more than would be needed to penetrate a hook, but it does give you a good comparison of line stretch. Trilene XT is high on the list.

Well..that was the problem last night...I wasn't catching. Got out about two hours before sunset..caught a few on some laydowns early..then it got quiet after dark..as in the skunk crawled in the boat at sunset. Just post fishing second guessing..but I usually can keep it interesting with a worm with a nice one every now and then. It was slow for others too..just wondering if I should start changing it up like you. But, if I'm catching, the thought of switching up never enters my mind.

This question applies to everyone that Bass fishes, but specifically for those of us fishing for fun, getting out maybe once a week or less. So there is no pre-fishing....just 4 to 8 hours of trying to get the line stretched. At what point does being versatile (many lures) take away from getting dialed in and being a master of a few. If you factor in time spent graphing, that fishing window closes quick. So is it better to spread that out over many or just a few. I ask because sometimes I think I don't try enough things in a day. I'll have a game plan to..but end up with that worm and jig rod too long. Kind of a tough question to really answer but what's your thoughts?

I'm a cancer survivor myself..it's overwhelming at first, but you'll settle down and fight it and beat it. Good luck to you!

So what I'm seeing from some of the big guns on this forum weighing in is that....there is no one way to fish it. I see hopping, shaking, dragging, swimming, etc. A lot of different types of water no doubt..and seasonal differences but it might be hard to find a more versatile technique of catching Bass. I'll be throwing it early and often tonight when the sun sets..too hot now.

Doodle slide?

X2

I'm down from 228 to 212 since the first of the year with diet and excercise..including a pushup program (up to 1600 total right now) and some weights. Long way to go but I can tell a huge difference in the way I feel. Fishing all day is much easier.:)

Why do we drive on the Parkway and park on the Driveway?

One other thing...I learned the technique from a guide many years ago. He told us that when he took couples out..the woman almost always out fishes the man on a C-Rig. The reason....patience....slow it down. I keep that in my mind and slowing down helps me more times than not.

So just to back up some..I slowly drag with rod tip down to the side and drag 1 to 2 feet at a time, I reel up my slack to the beginning and pause a little between the next pull. The bite normal happens in the pause, sometimes you feel it..sometimes you won't know until you do the next drag and it feels like your pulling up a wet towel. In either case....reel out all slack with rod pointed toward fish and sweep back hard to the side and keep reeling. It takes some practice, especially if you are use to a Texas rig....think more of a crankbait hook set but harder and longer.

Cast or pitch (to cover) let it fall on semi tight line. Work it back along the bottom with drags, hops, shakes with some pauses in between. A steady swim rarely works for me but sometimes I'll be get bit reeling it back to cast again and that can be a clue to swim it. I kind of just play around till something works. When pitching to cover most bites come on the initial fall. Interesting...so you drag with the reel or rod?

Another vote for Power Pro Original....that or mono.

It's interesting that Iovino and Brewer had different takes on this. Brewer really taught no shaking or erratic actions. Both finesse masters, different approaches, both of which work. I've seen it myself too...sometimes a little shake seems to help...sometimes not. I think there is a little debate on this with the Ned die-hards too. As far as the OP, I've caught fish after a backlash several times over the years. One time, my wife called and I stopped mid retrieve. I got off the phone after maybe 5 minutes and started to move the lure and it loaded up with biggest fish of the day.

I wear my A/M inflatable 100% of the time, even unloading/loading. I don't even notice it's on. There is a sign at Dale Hollow that says 138 people have drowned in this lake. All 138 were not wearing a life jacket. Keeping it close doesn't get it done. Also...wear your kill switch! Stepping off soapbox now.

Yup...love me some Academy, I've bought shoes, bicycle tires....and have been known to wear a path down the fishing aisles.

I've got a buddy from Ohio that takes family trips to Canada and he said they pretty much target Wally's..Smallmouth to them are like our Drums.

....and their music....wow, I've become my dad.

Yeah, meanwhile I almost have to get out the pole saw in the shop to cut the stuff..lol

Lol, yeah "Free Rig" rolls off the tongue a little easier....lol

So last night, I took this rig out to my main lake but decided to fish an area I'd never fished before. Nice long bank where the channel swings by....dozen or so of laydowns scattered down the bank. I worked the bank throughly from beginning to end and back. I ended up with about 15 Bass..one really nice one. For comparison, I'd say It was a better than average night for me. It comes through wood cover as good as a bullet weight, and it seems to come over rock a little better but I only fished it for a couple of hours. Now I didn't rhrow a tradtional Texas rig because they were hitting the Free Rig, so I have no way of comparing the two in terms of bites. Not saying I'm putting the bullet weights up, but you can move me from skeptical to interested for what it's worth.

I was in my late teens or early 20's..a buddy and I split the costs and bought em. We did catch a few on them in a little pond.

All Star...I have several and like them all.

Many years back I was guilty of this. I'd read reports at other lakes and thought it applied. The other thermoclines were 16-18, my main lake is rarely more than 10 - 12. I fished a lot of fishless water for a few summers when I was dragging out to 20 feet.